ITZY's Tunnel Vision: Ryujin's Quest For Focus

ITZY returned to the studio with one singular, driving idea: focus. *Tunnel Vision*, the South Korean girl group’s eleventh mini-album since their explosive 2019 debut of “Dalla Dalla,” demanded a new kind of intensity. This wasn't merely about delivering performance; it was about the internal process of discovery.

Ryujin, twenty-four, defined the project simply. "This album is about our passion." That conviction, they hoped, would resonate deeply with listeners. The preliminary material, a cinematic tease echoing the aesthetic of *The Matrix*, showed the five members locked onto a moving, elusive target. Shutting down every other thing.

The title track, "Tunnel Vision," is built upon a bass-heavy, hip-hop foundation, reflecting that intense conceptual concentration.

Ryujin explained the goal: sharing the message of how wonderful the progression is when one commits entirely to a target. Yet, the EP altogether resists simple categorization. It is an exploration that bends genres. Transitioning from the immediacy of the title track, the project moves to "Flicker," a garage pop offering centered on the confidence needed to navigate uncertainty.

Then came "Nocturne." A strange juxtaposition, perhaps, shifting from locked-in focus to dreamy introspection. This R&B number explored awakening from what Yeji, twenty-five, described as "nightmarish" emotions. She wanted listeners, while absorbing the track, to visualize nothing less than a dark night sky.

The recording sessions, even those Lia claimed "went off pretty well," pushed comfort zones for everyone.

Lia, also twenty-five, naturally favored songs that were laid-back and featured dynamic, up-and-down shifts in tone. Consider the high-noted track, “DYT.” That recording demanded a straight, charismatic vocal delivery—a deliberate departure from her familiar approach. She had to practice extensively for that one song.

Yuna, the youngest at twenty-one, faced a different vocal difficulty entirely. Her voice base is naturally thin. To achieve the deep, heavy, dark tones required by the EP’s complex structure, she spent considerable time studying the required delivery. Chaeryeong, twenty-four, also faced physical difficulty, tackling unfamiliar “big” choreography. The pursuit of the goal requires commitment.

It always does.